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Bael Saga, Chapter 1: The Darkness In Our Hearts
Gathering of the Gods The sands of Hueco Mundo were still. The projected sun still functioned in the wide space surrounding Las Noches. A lizard-like Hollow reared it's head as a growing, liquidic shadow rose out of the ground and devoured it. Replacing the creature was a small, red eye with no pupil. It didn't move, and merely stared up at the blazing artificial sun as it beat down on the sands of what would be this devil's battleground. Bael could feel it for miles. The hearts and minds of every Hollow and spiritual being unfortunate enough to be in their current realm. He could almost taste them. Bael extended his hand and out protruded the head of the lizard-like Hollow from before, still alive but flicking it's eyes around fearfully. He smirked down at it with mock-pity "Such a shame, little one... Never a day goes by do I not seek a challenge to kill the dullness of my spoiled existance. So, too, may you never again see the light of day..." At this, he crunched the poor creature in his grasp until the signalling snap and limp body revealed the creature was now lifeless. He put a hand to his cheek, giving a false sense of sympathy "Ooohh... Poor thing... Better keep it nice and cozy within the warmth of my realm. Perhaps a furnace will do to warm the spirits of this once proud creature." The Hollow returned inside Bael's body, slithering back into the liquidic ripples of his palm to never again know a moment of happiness or joy. Hayashi Kagekyo stood on an outcroping of rock overlooking an ocean in the Human world, a small grimce on his face. No one can kill me, nor can they help me now. Might as well go Hollow hunting to let off some steam. He thought with glee at the prospect of killing something far below him on the food chain of the spirit worlds. With a flick of his wrist, a swirling vortex opened below the rock. Without a second thought of the matter, he plunged in, and was regurgitated from the other end of the passageway. Once in Hueco Mundo, he set to work hunting a strong Hollow that could at least challenge him. --- A young woman gazes upon the white sands of the barren world that dot across the landscape, and the eternal twilight that hangs in the canopy of a starless sky. With the grace of one born of noblility, she glides forward, as steps are unnecessary, the concentration and density of her spiritual power moot that. Moving through the desert like an apparition, the very sands parting, churning beneath her, as though singing in concert, a symphony born from the sifting sands to commorate the coming of an ancient deity. Her purpose is simple, she can feel the presence of exceptional beings, and with that comes the questions of who, and why. One in particular is quite potent, but nothing she has not encountered and subsequently dealt with before. Many times, such creatures have attempted to test the veracity of their power, and each time she has crushed that abborhent fallacy. Her spiritual power pulses, releasing a ripple that causes the very sands to quake to as far as the eye can see. The others are surely aware of her presence now, and so she waits, because like all moths they cannot help but flutter to the flame that beckons them. Trailing a few steps behind her was a young man - green eyes watching the landscape; his footfalls made no sound as they fell and for every "step" that he took the sands answered to him, and as if on command the sand and dirt that the woman brushed aside subconciously floated up into the air and began to form around them in an archway of flickering minerals, the grains of sand sparkling like a myriad of minuscule Topaz fragments under the artificial sun; the archway soon became a long corridor that extended far ahead; although keeping clear of the areas where Iwanaga's Reiatsu had brushed the landscape clean - almost as if it was accompanying them out of sheer reverence. Bael could almost taste it. A spiritual presence so powerful, he had not felt it in years he could all but forget. He smirked, eager to meet this near-godlike power "Luring others to you...? But it seemed her attention was particularly focused on him. If she was powerful enough to detect him from this distance, she was certainly something worthwhile. His physical avatar sunk deeper into the liquidic mass that was his Reiatsu, bathing in it's deceitfully warm embrace. In turn, this liquid sunk into the sand like water into a hole. If she wanted him, she'd have him. Even from a good distance, Hayashi could feel an incredibly vast amount of spiritual energy, Using his abnormal speed, he moved close to the presence, but kept a safe, if somewhat unonbstructed, distance, hiding just behind a sand dune. His left eye changed to red, a sign of excitement and a want to fight. Through long hours of training, he was able to curb that aspect of himself, but even then, what caused this change in him was hardly able to be tamed. In front of Iwanaga appeared the same black liquid as before, bubbling boilingly to the surface of the sand, rising it height like a stature. It melded into the form of Bael's usual avatar, smiling in contentment at Iwanaga. He asked casually "You rang?" Though his words were casual and his voice was soft and smooth, it held a serpent-like chill to it that one would feel if they were interrogating a murderer. Iwanaga had been conversing with Izanagi, trivial matters, but conversation was pleasant. She found his child-like innocence of the world, endearing, and did not mind the way he would hang to her every word, like a son trying to please his mother. A moment later, she sensed her company's arrival, the first was what could best be described as a vile and disgusting being. Rising from a pool of red and black ichor, was the stronger of the two, a man wrapped in clothes, a diaboical grin etched into his face as though he were born wearing it. His clothes and stature spoke little of the power he possessed, no, it was the way he prostrated himself, an aura of supreme megalomaniac arrogance surrounded him, like an almost tangible blanket. "Welcome, traveler." She said politely. "I am pleased that you found the courage to meet with me, hopefully this exchange will provide solace to the answers you seek. My name is Iwanaga Yamatsumi, and this," she says indicating her ally, "is Izanagi Zetsubou. If you would be so kind, enlighten us to your name traveler." Iwanaga had hoped that the other signature, wild and untamed as it was, would have demonstrated the same level of bravery. She was...mildly disappointed. It spoke of the warrior in question, but perhaps he was utilizing a more tactical approach, gauging the strength of his opponents before engagement. Given their powers, it was necessary, but ultimately irrelevant, all paths led to the same end. However, it was rather rude. When the time came to destroy them and it would, he would be the first to perish. Bael raised a brow, his grin unchanging "Traveler? Yes, I suppose I am. Still, you may refer to me as Bael. I won't bore you with all the titles that follow. Is there a particular reason you sent for me? One as powerful as yourself must clearly see-" His grin faded and he turned to face toward the rock Hayashi was hiding behind "You have three seconds before I blow up that rock and send you on a pike to come out of there." Hayashi gulped, his hiding place exposed. "Alright alright. See? I'm here." he said as he stepped out into the open. "Seeing as you two were kind enough to introduce yourselves, I'm Hayashi Kagekyo. Now, as I am standing here, reletively unarmed, there is no need to blow up said rock, or the guy who stood behind it, no?" he asked, noticing both of them were well beyond the normal levels of power, even higher than his own. His face dripped with sweat from the stressful moment, but it wasn't a big deal at that moment. "Come Hayashi-san. You must have many questions, afterall this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, perhaps even an act of fate that we should all meet. I am feeling, particularly generous this day, so you are free to ask the questions that plague you. Or perhaps," She said curiously. "You wish to test the mettle of your person against a force of nature itself?" Iwanaga then turned her attention back to Bael. "As for you, Bael, I am familiar with that being tied by that name. If you are indeed who you claim to be, than I will ask this. To what purpose do you exist, living from one day to the next, powerful, but unable to determine a direction to use that power?" Bael chuckled to himself "That's power for you. I see what I do as art. Expression of the inner turmoil existing in me. To describe how painfully dull being able to do anything has made life for me. But I am aware of your name as well. You are one of the Ancient Ones. A being of Will, like myself. An unkillable force of nature, an ideal that cannot even hope to be stopped. You are like me." Hayashi smiled. "Iwanaga-san, thank you for allowing me questions. Do you mind when this is all over if you could help me harness my abundant Demonic talents? If not I understand. One more question before I cease. What is an Ancient One? Are you two like Gods or something?" he asked, thankful that they didn't blast him into next week. Her demeanor did not change, but there is a noticably coldness to her posture, as she cooly addresses Bael's statement. "Do not presume that you and I are the same Bael. You are nothing more than a vestige of sin, the manifestation of a mere echo, a fleeting thought temporarily given life, existing without meaning or purpose. Long after your reign has come to ruin Bael, I will remain. For only one of us is eternal." "As for you Hayashi-san." She pauses, contemplating her thoughts. She had resolved that he would be the first to die. However she might be lenient depending entirely on how this conversation goes. He was fearful, but respectful, which meant he understood the gravity of the situation. Still, she despised cowardice. His power was fluctuating, but it was not due to lack of control. "You will never be able to harness your full potential as you are now. This has nothing to do with the quality or quantity of your training, and attempting to do so would be a waste of the brief moments of your existence. The culprit is more fundamental than that, it is at the very basis of your power. Your thoughts, resolve and very conviction are in disharmony. There exist too many conflicting emotions, and ideals; uncertainty, anxiety, fear. Simply put, you do not yet possess the strength of will to subjugate your inner demons, and until you find that which motivates you above all else, you will remain a slave to the powers that bind you. At this moment you are at a crossroads; on one path lies salvation, truth, here you will find the answer you seek. In the other, your fate lies beyond in the veil of obscurity, beholden to the entity within you. Regardless, if you do not cast out your fear, all that awaits you is death." She finishes mysteriously. But for Hayashi the message was clear. Today, he would fight, whether he would live to see tomorrow, depended entirely on his actions in the present. Izanagi was appraising the two newcomers with some interest, his facial features constantly oscilating between childish interest and loathing, his eyes were beaming with curiousty at one moment before they become harder than flint, empty and disturbingly dispassionate; the circle went around for some time before his body finally settled on childish as Izanagi snuck behind Iwanaga in a sudden fit and peered over her shoulder shyly - his eyes big and round with amazement, almost as if he had just discovered a nice trinket or judging by the childish gleam in his emerald eyes, a pair of new toys. Izanagi then spoke, it was eerie, concidering that while his voice was that of a full-grown man, his words were those of a small child "Kaa-chan, do you think that they will break if Nagi-chan plays with them? The other toys all broke and then Kaa-chan gets angry with Nagi-chan for spilling red sticky thingies on the floor" rambling and stuttering in shame Izanagi retreats a few steps behind Iwanaga and starts twiddling his thumbs, like a child who has just received scorn and seeks to make up for it. Bael didn't allow Iwanaga the courtesy of answering. Within an instant, he disappeared in a burst of embers and reappeared in front of her as her head was turned to her "child". Raising his fist, he delivered an earth-shaking, gravity-splitting punch. It wasn't using his full-strength, for that would tear the area apart, but enough to kick up so much sand, a crater had formed beneath their feet just from the force of impact alone. Earth and Sin In moments, if such conceptions of time existed for these titans, the sand instantly formed a barrier stopping Bael's fist, though not without effort, but ultimately successful. Iwanaga paid no heed to the daemon, or his attack as she addressed her "child" in a softer tone. "Nagi-chan, I think you'll find the company of Hayashi-san more than welcome, he will not break dear." She replied. Satisfied that Nagi would show Hayashi-san the answers he sought, she turned her attention back to the infamous Bael. "If words are analogues with swords Bael, then it would appear that you are quite the novice. Having already lost one battle you hurl yourself right into another." The sands blocking Bael's attack dissolve, as his fist spears towards Iwanaga's face, but having lost much of its momentum, is stopped instead by an invisible force ---her reiatsu. Its so incredibly thick and dense that a powerful field is generated around her. It's a mystery how "Nagi-chan" could even get so close, which meant it she either conciously or unconciously lowered it. Either way, Bael could see the cold eyes of Iwanaga regard him disdainfully. "I see no real tactics or strategy behind this gambit, but given your impulsiveness, I suppose it is to be expected of a demon. Unfortunately there is little truth in the power you possess Bael, such a pathetic existence. Perhaps I will do you the honor's of ending it, before you find yourself mad with self-realization of your own senseless purpose." Iwanaga did not move, instead the very world around them, to the edge of the horizon began to bend to her influence, the white sands of Hueco Mundo churned around the two demi-gods, as half a dozen earthen lances, each thick and long as a pine tree, shot up all around Bael in an attempt to skewer the daemon. In that same instant, the sand beneath her bubbled with life, causing her to rapidly rise into the air forming an ashen throne where she sat, peering from above like a princess gazing upon her kingdom. "Understand this Bael, your power will not reach me, for the distance between us is like heaven and earth. That you would battle against a force of nature is brave, but foolish. If you wish, come, but we shall see the veracity of the limitations of your power this day Bael." Bael grinned as a ring of glowing red, circular barriers shielded him from the assault. "You're beautiful, Iwanaga. I'll give you that. But your words of pretensious superiority are as equally empty as both of our "directions". You speak as if you have some sort of goal. But with all your power, you seem to still haven't have achieved it? I can absorb every realm I set my eyes upon and beyond if I so desired. But if I own everything, nothing would be entertaining anymore. I would be all. But as for you... I have not yet come across a being I didn't devour and break to this day, at one point or another. So enough of your insolent superiority, you blabber-mouthing bitch, and hit me with all the force your puny feminine frame can dish out before I decide you have nothing left to offer." At this, the black liquid beneath Bael seemingly "infected" the ground around him, turning it an ashen black. He was in control of these sands now. His first motion of attack was to summon a Guillotine-like contraption over Iwanaga and her throne, letting the blade fall down upon her. He kept his gaze fixed, ready to ensure she would live to regret escaping it. Iwanaga's gaze didnt leave the perturbed eyes of Bael. His attack fell upon her, only to be swatted aside; smashed into a million pieces. Her savior came in the form of an earthen fist the size of a house, black as night, with jagged edges that rip apart lesser mortals. Iwanaga was earth itself, whether Bael corrupted a few particles of sand, or not was irrelevant. If need be, she could simply create earth where there was none. Hueco Mundo itself moaned as the white desert quaked, as an ebony pillar shot forth from the sands, joining the obisidian hand. With furious roar, the fist transfigured into the head of a pristine emeralded eye'd serpent. Without even a command it rammed its entire length into the form of Bael, jaws wide open snapping wildly in an attempt to tear him apart. Bael's arms grew in length and his muscles increased in size as he grabbed the top and bottom jaws of the sand-made Emerald snake. The force of the creature pushed Bael back a few feet, but he finally managed to close shut it's gaping maw. He raises his foot and, beneath it, a glowing red eye opened. He slammed it back down onto the sand, causing massive black spikes to protrude from the ground and impale the mock-creature. The sand that made it up turned ashey black, just like the rest that Bael infected. Bael raised his other foot and, again, another glowing red eye opened beneath it. He stamped it down, causing an army of corrupted Hollow familiars to sprout out of the sand, each one as deformed and grotesque as the next. Their eyes glowed red instead of the natural Hollow yellow. Green Hollow blood oozed out of their mouths and eye sockets, and they moaned in agony as they flooded the area. Bael created a similar throne of blackened sand and formed a wine glass out of thin air, filling it with blood-red nectar, sipping it like a fanciful noble. The army of Hollow took positions in ranks on Bael's end of the playing field, boxes of red and white sand forming around so the area resembled a chess board. He set the wine glass down on an invisible table, letting it rest gravity-defyingly. Clasping his pale hands together, he recited "Let us see how entertaining you are, Earth-Demigoddess! Bring forth your pieces, and let's get this bout going!" "Pieces?" She says disdainfully. At the last syllable, the very world began to tremble, as a wave rippled through the white sands, creaking and groaning as though the realm itself were awakening. "Do you pride yourself on "corrupting" the sand I controlled Bael? By summoning such loathesome pieces to do battle with? It appears you misunderstand my power. I am the voice of the earth, this land, this realm is an extension of my will. I do not use pieces Bael, for the very battlefield is my weapon!" As though commanded by god itself the "board" beneath Bael's Hollow army snapped open, fissures opening beneath them, as pillars of earth formed and arose from the sands, while some were simply conjured from the air itself. They ripped and tore at his army, attempting to crush them with earthen debri, suffocate them with thick clouds of dust, enter their system and tear them apart from within. Then in a magnificant show of power would cause the earth beneath them to collapse swallowing the destruction whole only to be remade again, as though such a battle had never even occured. Bael frowned "Controlling a desolate wasteland? Would you be more intimidated if I turned your prescious sand dunes into a field of molten rock and forests of impaled humans? I can corrupt anything I see. You can control environments I can corrupt. Realize the difference in our power." At this, a pair of pale arms burst from the dark sands beneath Iwanaga's throne and attempted to clasp each other's palms with her in the middle, crushing her. The arms themselves were lengthy and huge, like large pillars, and had black, painted fingernails with Bael's glowing red-eyes on the palms, one on each. "Are you proud that you could corrupt these sands Bael?" Iwanaga scoffs at the lunacy of such an accomplishment. "Meaningless." She says. The hands that erupted from the sands to crush Iwanaga drew near, but she did not react, not even to defend herself. The reason was simple, as the arms attempted to clasp over her form, her reiatsu pulsed. This time it did not send a ripple, nor a wave. Within the sands a battle for supremacy took hold, the corrupting influence of Bael clashed against dominating resolution that was Iwanaga's energy. It was as though the very forces of law and chaos were battling one another, but just as quickly as the battle began, it was over that same instant. Iwanaga was earth. There was no distinction, spatial even physical boundaries meant nothing. Purging the poison required no more effort than to lift a finger, and so it was when the black sands became white again, freed from Bael's control. Meanwhile the hands clasped over Iwanaga's form, seemingly crushing her within. A few moments passed by and nothing happed. That was until they began to crack, bits and pieces flaking off. In seconds the hands began to chip and crumble, before they disintegrated into ash and dust. Iwanaga sat completely unharmed by such level of an attack. "The difference between us Bael, is that you seek to corrupt that which is absolute. Your pathetic poison is little more than a drop of water in a vast desert. Inconsequential even. For such an ancient being Bael, I expected more even from you. I am quite disappointed. But it is to be expected." Her close in thought. "Your will, your conviction is little more than a desire to enjoy the next fleeting moment. Fighting such an opponent is a disgrace. Therefore I will give you this one opportunity to retreat Bael. There's no meaning in killing you." She turns and gazes thoughfully at the battle between Izanagi and Hayashi. "Perhaps you would be a challenge for Nagi-chan? Yes children should play together." She says mockingly. Bael frowned at this "Impressive. No one has ever purged me out of anything before. But as I said before, girl, if you insist on acting as if you're the superior I will be forced to bring you back to Oblivion and believe me, a fate worse than death sounds like a blessing in comparison." "You manipulate earth and soil. How very impressive. I can create... life." At this, an orb the colour of flesh rested on Iwanaga's lap. It's contents were highlighted within as a silhouette of a babies' embryo, quickly going through the stagies of birth until finally a bloody, squealing baby sat in her lap. Bael grinned at her and the mockery of life he had just conjured. "It is true. Check it if you don't believe me. That is a genuine human being, kept alive despite your tremendous Reiatsu due to me keeping it alive. Though I do wonder what would happen if I were to let down my barriers around it... Perhaps it would pop like a balloon." Iwanaga gives the child a cursory glance. Something flickers in her eyes, but only for a moment before its gone in the next. Slowly the child is levitated from her lap with her reiatsu, eyeing it carefully, perhaps even tenderly. Then without a second thought, the child is launched at super sonic speeds across the horizon, though its body has long since disintegrated from the sheer forces acting against it mid-flight. Iwanaga returns her attention back to Bael with disapproval. "Your effort was wasted Bael. The life of any one mortal is no more significant than an insect." She said. "It appears I have misjudged you Bael. Rumor had spoke of your demonic powers and unrivaled sadism, but it seems you are no more of a threat than the worlds strongest ant." At this, Bael closed off Iwanaga's windpipe with a scowl "I've had just about enough of that blabbering voice of yours, girl. You understand nothing and you're judgements are as significant as the sands of this desolate wasteland. With a thought, I could devour everything! You, your prescious world, and every last thing in it! His Reiatsu, once again, flooded the area as black liquid with red eyes peering at her. It reached up and covered her, squeezing tightly on her body and enticing her nerve endings, dealing copulent amounts of pain and with the sounds of reverberating static lighting the air. "I tolerate you and your existance, but I do not tolerate disrespect. Beg me for your soul and I just may take pity on your pathetic life." She did not move, nor did she show any sign of distress. Like an immovable statue, Iwanaga's features were like stone. Her body should have been stiff, convulsing with pain, but it was to be. The reiatsu of Bael potent, corrupt and powerful responds well to the weaknesses, the insecurities and gaps that lie between in other spiritual beings. Other spiritual beings. Iwanaga however was not like other beings, for hers was a power completely and wholly aligned towards a singular purpose, one truth if you will. When she did not cry out in pain, Bael might have expressed some concern. So when she opened her mouth and spoke with no more strain than a summer breeze strangling her neck, perhaps....perhaps he had underestimated her. "Devour me Bael? Well, at least you are "acting" like the supposed demon you were rumored to be. But as I said before, such low level attacks will not reach me Bael. You assume that you are in control, that you have the power, but your efforts have been at best a mere annoyance. Like a human trying to defeat a mountain with his bare hands. Ultimately fruitless. If you are unable to provide any a modicrum of a challenge Bael, perhaps you should retreat. Live to fight another day." Bael grinned and turned his head toward the bout between Hayashi and Nagi "Perhaps you'd show some concern for your follower. I'll bet you'd be truly distressed if something bad were to happen to him, am I right?" His Reiatsu turned it's gaze toward the two lessers' fight with predatory interest. "If Izanagi-kun were to fall to your powers than that is where his journey will end today. His loss would not be without inconvience, but it will not jeopordize my ambitions. It is apparent that you are desperate. You find yourself before a foe who will not bow down, and so you make these feeble attempts to manipulate something you truly know nothing about." Iwanaga allows a ghost of a smile on her otherwise iron features. "I find your struggle amusing Bael, like a child fumbling in the dark. Very well then, I can see that are afraid to attack me directly. But it is to be expected against a superior predator." Iwanaga raised her hand from her throne her slender fingers hanging loosely in the air. She flicked her index finger forward, such a simple motion, not even noteworthy. Yet that action unleashed a powerful shockwave, ripping the very air itself apart, rapidly expanding in size. Its releases was puncuated with a deafening ear-piercing roar, like the sound of an ancient beast awoken from its slumber! Torrential winds raced forward, slicing with such speed and precisions to be forcibly ripping apart the space between them before finally reaching Bael. Bael smirked as he was hit with the direct force of Iwanaga's attack, being torn apart by such force and his corrupted sand throne being dispersed to the ground below. But, as quickly as he was "killed", he regenerated in a cloud of shadow and blood, standing in midair without a single scratch to show for her meager efforts. "You have no reason to be proud Bael. You were so easily destroyed by such a simple gesture," She paused thoughtfully. "...were you trying to demonstrate that I cannot kill you perhaps?" Iwanaga shakes her head in disbelief. "Be that as it may, all you have proven this day is that you are no different than a spoiled child, one given far too much power, yet none of the wisdom to use it properly. As much as I would relish the opportunity, I am unable to kill this day Bael. Therefore I propose two options you may choose. The first is a wager. We shall bet the outcome of our fight through the battle between Izanagi-kun and Hayashi-san. If Izanagi-kun wins, it is my victory, if Hayashi wins, it is yours. Neither of us will be able to directly influence their fight and should we do so, we forfeit." She leans back into her throne comfortably. "The second option is that we impose, constraints if you will, on what powers we may or may not use. If either one of us breaks these conditions, it is our forfeit. Do you find these options acceptable?" Darkness and Light Hayashi looked at the child with a bit of respect and a greater amount of intrest. He felt powerful, but to say that would be an understatement. This reminded him of his final fight with Margin, minus the emotional wreakage. "So, Nagi-chan is it? It's a shame that our first meeting is under such sorrowful circumstance." As he spoke, his once red eye shifted back to blue, his true personality coming to light. "I will honor you with a chance to strike me. One hit to try and break me." He was acting cocky, but everyone always said he had the right to, given his healing factor was beyond the normal level. Nagi-chan tilted his head to the side in surprise - it wasn't often that he he encountered someone who were willing to lend him a free hit but then shook his head in rejection "Nuh, whenever Nagi hits something he breaks it, which means that he cannot play anymore - Nagi doesn't want to stop playing so soon; he wants to play... dodgeball!" Nagi-chan then made a gesture towards the ground before abruptly heaving his palm up into the air a sudden fluent motion. The ground shook as it began to disend and creak under the strain of Nagi's powers only to tear apart and be transformed into a cascade of uncountable large boulders - which then.. loosened from the earth and began to ascend up into the air at high speeds, the giant boulders including those two that Nagi and Hayashi stood on respectively as well. Far, far beneath them was a gigantic hole in the earth where Nagi-chan had gotten his ammunition, the hole leading straight down to the Forest of the Menos; while the stones were ascending, Hayashi would find that he was temporarily locked inside a prison of hyper-compressed and focused airspace - preventing him from running away for the time being. After a few moments the entire rock formation was suspended 600 meters above the ground-level of Hueco Mundo - the rocky formation consisting of a very large number of huge boulders intermingled with countless smaller ones kept suspended in the air by Nagi's Spiritual Power alone - once they had reached their destination, Nagi released the confining airspace around Hayashi, allowing him to act freely. By looking around him, Hayashi could see nothing but stones, rocks and gigantic boulders as far as his unaided gaze could see - the earthen constructs howering at different heights and altitudes, making it look like a miniature asteroid belt to the two combatants far down below; the "battleground" sported impossibly many hiding places for both of them, especially concidering how some of the largest boulders were as hollow as Hueco Mundo's inhabitants. Nagi grinned childishly "We're going to play Dodgeball here! Nagi-chan will tell you the rules of the game - the game is to hit the opposing part with any of these boulders and rocks, Nagi-chan doesn't care how you do it though so you can do whatever you like! Nagi-chan will give you a demonstration though, because he's nice!" just as Nagi had finished his sentence two large boulders in the "Asteroid Belt" began to spin around their own axis at tremendous speeds before launching themselves onto Hayashi with the total force of two comets; being manipulated by the currents of Nagi-chans Spiritual Energy. Hayashi dodged the first one by hopping over it, and the second one barely grazed his jeans. Holy Bael! If that thing hit me, I'd lose a leg for a week! he thought in terror. "Nagi-chan, how are you...Don't say you're a Demon like those two over there. You coulda taken my leg off with that thing!" Once the rocks stopped moving, he calmly walked over to them and lifted one of them with both hands. Using his Demonic energy to enhace the force, he tossed the rock straight back at Nagi. "Your turn kid." Nagi-chan laughed childishly as the huge boulder flew towards him, halfway squeeling in delight at getting to play with someone who didn't break at the first blow, it didn't look like he had the slightest intention of avoiding the boulder - and once it came just infront of him, he promptly proceeded to halt it with a single hand, before then crushing down on it and shattering it into a myriad of small stone shards. "I'm no demon, neither is Kaa-chan! Demons are weaklings - please don't break too quickly please, I'm not finished playing yet!" Hayashi stared wide eyed as Nagi-chan shattered the rock without any effort. "Don't worry kiddo, I don't plan on breaking any time soon. Wait...You just called me a weakling you little twerp!" he yelled as he turned and grabbed the second boulder, and this time he splintered it into many smaller chunks and then throwing them at Nagi with ease. The splinters never got any chance to harm Nagi-chan; as they, with most of their original mass destroyed were simply much too fragile to withstand the tremendous levels of his Spiritual Energy, disintegrating the moment they left the safety of Hayashi's Reiatsu. Nagi-chan tilted his head in obvious disamusement "You know, I don't think you're any fun playing with at all! Nagi-chan wants to beat you up now, very badly" Raising a hand in front of him, Nagi-chan proceeded to silently manipulate eight gigantic rocks in their immediate vicinity to "zoom" themselves in at Hayashi's Spiritual Signature; one of these rocks being the very rock that Hayashi himself stood on, as it attempted to shoot off into the sky with him towards the other rocks to provide for a situation of nigh-impossible odds to surrival. As the seven other rocks homed in on Hayashi and flew at him in an omnidirectional attack, attempting to pin and crush him between the bodies of earth and stone. Hayashi smiled even in the face of such odds as these. He counted to ten in his head, and once he thought the last number in the sequence, he used his hypersonic speeds to escape the entrapment, just as the rocks smashed together, with him below them. "You really are something, you know that? Almost worthy of me using this ring." he said, holding his hand up, revealing a green and black ring. "But just almost." There was no transition, as Nagi-chan simply materialized in the personal space of Hayashi, he was so close that their noses almost touched ---clearly this child had no sense of personal space, with an iron-grip - Nagi-chans hand closed around Hayashi's wrist as he forcefully pulled the other man much closer, Nagi-chans back facing directly against the man behind him while the "child" pulled Hayashi's ring finger all the way up to his face, separated by a narrow few milimeters. The boy inquistioned softly "Did you buy it in a toy store? Nagi-chan wants it! Nagi-chan'll take it now, thats alright, yes!" With this, Nagi-chan attempted to wrap two fingers around Hayashi's ring finger just behind the ring in question and pull with all his might; in an attempt to pull the finger off its bone sockets and rip the tendons in the appendage and ultimately detach the finger in question from Hayashi's hand with utter brutality, made all the more disturbing by the childlike demeanour of Nagi-chan and his squeel of delight that would follow the attempt. That was all Hayashi needed to hear. With his spirtual pressure, he activated the ring, causing thin wires to wrap Nagi-chan's wrist, but it was too late. With a sickening crack, Hayashi's finger came loose, but it was soon replaced thanks to his healing factor. Before Nagi-chan could abscond with his new treasure, Hayashi snatched it back, the wires releasing their grip, but remained physical. "Never touch this ring!" he shouted, finally losing his temper. Nagi-chans reaction was instantenous as he with his right hand moved swiftly to attempt to swipe all the way trough Hayashi's midsection with his bare hand, effectively bisecting him at the waist and likely inflicting lethal damage besides; the speed of the attack and their close proximity to one another would make it quite hard to evade completely, although it could be done. In the case that this initial attack proven unsuccesful Nagi would quickly attempt to intercept his opponent and give him a slap across the face - the tremendous force of which could quite likely twist Hayashi's neck around 180 degrees and send him plumetting down towards the ground faar below besides. The still physical wires were now begining to wrap themselves together in a wall pattern, something that Hayashi seemed shocked about as he didn't give any sort of mental or verbal command. Knowing now that he gained a few nano-seconds of time, he used the hyperspeed once again, dodging the bifurcation. Once he stopped moving he was right behind Nagi-chan, smiling sadisticly, his eyes red at that point. Thank you for this, Yuki, and you too Margin. he thought as he drew his Zanpakto, placing it at his opponent's neck. "So Nagi, do you think I'm still boring?" "Yes!" Nagi-chan exclaimed enthusiastically, clapping his hands together before he looked around himself, searching for something; seemingly not minding the blade at his neck in the slightest, his tongue playing at his lips while he simply stared blankly off into the distance before he exclaimed with excuberance "Nagi-chan wants Onigiri" Nagi-chan the screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice being amplified a houndred times in order to reach all the way down to his mother, Hayashi, standing so close to him could very likely suffer extreme trauma from the incredible sound waves, ranging from dizzyness, intense nausea and weakness to even his eardrums being crushed, and indeed, perhaps even lethal damage --- "KAA-CHAN, WHEN WE GET HOME, CAN NAGI-CHAN HAVE AN ONIGIRI!?" Not only was Hayashi thrown off his feet, but he was sure that if he wasn't a Demon, that would have induced lethal damage. The soundwave itself felt like a semi-truck, shattering bones, shards barely missing the heart and lungs and the damage was slowly healed thanks to his regeneration factor. With some difficulty, he forced himself to stand, crimson-black ooze raining from his ears. The pain in his head was beyond imagining, and he felt himself scream, but he never heard it thanks to the ear canal damage. When he could make a rational thought, his mind travaled to Nikki Sixx' Heroine Diaries, involving a humorous obituary, that he recreated in his own mind to suit the situation. Hayashi Kagekyo died today, getting his ears blown out by a effing scream! To Hayashi's eyes, the world froze mid-motion for several moments. before all the rocks who had been suspended by Nagi-chans energy disintegrated due to the tremendous soundwave; this also included the rocks the two of them currently stood on which left the two of them to fall down towards the ground at great speeds; at least, Hayashi would and due to his great agony and generally horrible physical condition at the moment, Nagi-chan trusted that the Demon wouldn't manage to stop his fall in time before being crushed against the hard surface roughly 600 meters below: Nagi-chan himself simply vanished in mid-air and used his speed to displace himself just left to Iwanaga's side; appraising Bael playfully while he spoke to his mother "Kaa-chan, I think my toy just broke!" Nagi-chan sounded abit disapointed, but there was a certain light in his eyes that told Iwanaga that he had indeed had some fun despite himself.